Something Borrowed
by Era Dubois
Summary: The Invisible Challenge. Kyoko's upcoming nuptials have caused the Taisho and Okami-san of Darumaya to think back to their wedding.
1. Chapter 1

*** I own NO rights to Skip Beat! ***

**Something Borrowed (Part One)**

Trying to understand the conversation was like watching a tennis match, as the words were volleyed back and forth between the couple.

"Well, we already have the dress."

"And the Tux."

"And the cake."

"And the meal choices."

"Chicken or Fish."

Then the Bride- and Groom-to-be said in unison with their tongues out, "Oahu Omelet Rice will not be choice." And they laughed at the inside joke.

The Taisho and Okami-san of Darumaya sat and listened quietly to the young couple's mirth.

"So," the Okamisan started, "it sounds like everything is already seen to."

Kyoko shrugged, "I guess so. I just feel so," she looked at Ren with a dreamy stare, "happy."

Okami-san smiled, "I know the feeling. When we got married I was a bundle of nerves just sparkling with the glow of near marital bliss, isn't that right dear?"

Taisho had a monosyllable answer to that one, "Hmm."

Okami-san laughed, "We got married in Kyoto at a family run inn called…oh give me a moment, I have everything in a box, I'll go get it."

When Okami-san came back she was holding a shoe-box that contained a few papers and a few preserved flowers from the ceremony.

"Ah here it is, there is no name but the proprietor is mentioned, one Kenichi Fuwa."

Okami-san saw Kyoko pale, but before she could ask her what was the matter, Kyoko got up and ran to her room. "What did I say?"

Ren sighed and smiled reassuringly at the elder couple, "She used to work at an inn owned by the Fuwa family. Now she only has poor memories of the place. Excuse me, Aunt and Uncle, I should go check on her." And with that he left to find his fiancé.

Okami-san began tidying up their lunch and looked at her husband, "That is really too bad, because I have such fond memories of that inn." She smiled at him.

Once again, just one syllable "Hmm?"

Okami-san put her hands on her hips, "That was where we were married and had our honey moon and all you can say is 'hmm'? Really it wouldn't kill you to show you have a romantic bone in your body."

"It was a lovely place but I was thinking about Kyoko."

Okami-san sighed, "Yes, that girl. I knew she was from Kyoto, but I never thought she would live near there, let alone have bad memories of the place."

"Well, I was thinking about the young man I had met at the river when we were there."

"I don't remember this, what were you doing down at the river?"

"I was having second thoughts on the wedding and had gone there to breathe through my cold feet, or run away using the river to cover my trail."

"Sweet-heart?!"

"I was joking, I married you didn't I? Well this boy of about ten was walking around, along the riverbank, when he saw me and tried to run away. I had walked up and put my hand on his shoulder and asked him if something was troubling him. He told me he wasn't happy and that he sometimes thought of jumping into the river and letting the current drag him to the next life."

"Darling, is that true? The boy was only ten."

"It's true. So I sat him down on a nearby boulder and I had a long talk with him and when we were done, he told me he felt much better, and to tell you the truth so did I. Before we parted ways I asked him for his name."

"Darling, don't keep me in suspense?"

Taisho smiled sadly at his wife. "He answered, 'my name is Zero Mogami'."


	2. Chapter 2

*** I own NO rights to Skip Beat! ***

**Something Borrowed (Part Two)**

"Mogami?"

Taisho nodded an affirmative, "Yes, I think the boy was Kyoko's father."

"Oh, honey, don't you see what this means. We could find her father and get him to walk her down the aisle. That would be such a wonderful present!"

Taisho sighed, "No, we shouldn't meddle."

Okami-san gives him a mock reproving look, "It's not meddling if it makes them happy."

"The man hasn't spoken to his daughter for her entire life; do you really think he would be willing to see her, let alone her wanting to see him?"

She grew downcast, "You're right, dear, but…" She jumped up and ran to the kitchen dialing information on the phone, "it can't hurt to see if he still lives in the area!" she yelled to him.

Taisho walked into the room his wife kept as an office for any clerical work required for the restaurant. He went to the desk and pulled out the third drawer with the hidden compartment in the bottom. From this he extracted a nineteen year old newspaper clipping. He frowned at it and made his way to the kitchen were his wife was patiently waiting to be connected. She put her hand on the receiver, "They're connecting me with a number that should be his parents." The other end picks up and Taisho shows Okami-san the clipping, which read: _A body washed up along the banks of a river in Kyoto today. The suicide victim has been identified by his parents to be 21 year old Zero Mogami. The note, which has been given to the press by his relatives to spread awareness for depression read thusly: I am tired of being aptly named. A zero can be nothing but nothing. Maybe where I am going I will be something._

_Mogami is survived by his mother, father, and young wife who is expecting their first child._ A photo was included of the man where he is smiling.

Okami-san breathes a hard sigh and whispers, "She looks just like him."

The other end has static and then a young woman can be heard over the line, "Hello, hello, is anyone there?"

Okami-san swallows, "Are the Mogami's there?"

Silence and then, "No, I am so sorry. They passed away six months ago. We tried to contact family but they only had their daughter-in-law listed and she wouldn't return our calls, so the funeral was just their friends here at the home. Are you a relation?"

Okami-san takes a deep breath. "No, I just…I am sorry to have bothered you." And she hung up.

Taisho encompassed her in his arms, letting her tell him, through her tears, what he already thought he knew; Kyoko had no blood relations left.


	3. Chapter 3

*** I own NO rights to Skip Beat! ***

**Something Borrowed (Part Three)**

"You have to stop crying." He put his wife at arms length and stared at her trying to open up their near telepathic bond.

Okami-san could pretty much hear what he was saying. She had to stop crying, she had to pull herself together, and if Kyoko was to know this, if she was at all ready, her friends would need to be strong for her.

Ren led Kyoko back down the stairs to say good bye to Taisho and Okami-san; he had no idea good bye would have so many facets that night.

Taisho told Kyoko the story of the boy at the river, then showed her the newspaper clipping, and winced slightly when he told her that her paternal grandparents were dead.

Kyoko sat with a glassy stare for a long while and then began to cry.

Ren enfolded her in a comforting embrace and then felt the arms of Okami-san and then Taisho encircle all of them in a big bear-hug.

There was a hiccup from the center of the group and then something muffled against Ren's chest.

Taisho, Okami-san, and Ren all let go but stay very close. Kyoko rubs her eyes and sniffs.

"You're wrong."

Okami-san's brow furrows with worry, "No Kyoko, we checked. You don't have any family left."

Kyoko holds back more tears and smiles, "No, that's where you're wrong. I have so much family. I have Yashiro and the guy's from Bridge Rock for brothers; I have the President, Mr. Sawara and every other man and woman who has helped me along the way for aunts and uncles; I have the girls from Box R and Dark Moon and Moko for sisters."

Okami-san smiled at the young girl, "And now you'll have a mother and father with the Hizuri's."

Kyoko looked at Ren. "If it wouldn't offend him, I don't think I want 'father' to walk me down the aisle."

Ren smiled at his fiancé. "You could never offend him."

Okami-san looked back and forth between the young couple, "But Kyoko, if Kuu Hizuri doesn't walk you down the aisle you'll have no one to give you away."

Kyoko smiled at the elder couple, "That's where you're wrong again. If you don't mind, I would like the both of you to give me away."

Okami-san nearly cried as she shook her head and hugged the young woman. "Of course we will give you away, we love you."

The ceremony went off without a hitch. The bride and groom had their first dance; both sets of parents had their respective dances, mother (in law) and son (in law) and father (in law) and daughter (in law). The bouquet was tossed and somehow, Yashiro caught it, of course the part that was expected was his blush and squeal. The cake was cut and Kyoko nearly cried at having to slice up the 'cutiful' decorations and as she ate it anyone at table one could her at times mumbling something about edible pearls, sad white sugar lace, and the fate of sparkly white chocolate butterfly wings that looked as though they were those of fairies. At the end of the night the newlyweds ran out to a shimmering white limo that would take them to the airport where they would board a flight to Scotland, to stay for three weeks in a highland castle, courtesy of the president, of course.

Okami-san watched all of this with love overflowing from her eyes. Taisho grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. She wiped her eyes with one of the lacy handkerchiefs the little girl named Maria had been handing out. "I just feel someone should go and talk to him."

Taisho simply said with determination, "Hmm."

The train clacked against the rails on its way back to Tokyo.

Okami-san fiddled with her purse as she put away her coin purse, she had just paid for a sandwich and two juices for her and her husband's lunch. "I feel bad that it was in such disrepair."

Taisho resettled in his seat across from his wife, "You fixed it up enough, with the flowers and incense."

Okami-san smiled at her husband and cut the sandwich in half. "I think you fixed it up more, with that note."

Taisho just said, "Hmm," and took his half of the sandwich from his wife.

Back in Kyoto on a small tombstone where the scent of incense lingers, there is a bouquet of flowers and a note that reads: _Hello Zero, you may not remember me, but I remember you. You are not 'nothing', a number higher than nine needs a zero to make it a ten. You never got to meet her, but you had a daughter. She looks just like you and to describe her I would need many zeros because she is always a perfect ten, puts one-hundred percent of herself into anything she tries, and she is one in a million. My wife and I gave her away at her wedding this week, I hope you don't mind. We won't keep her as our daughter forever, we're just borrowing her._

**Well that is the end. Please comment if you liked it and comment if you didn't, every opinion matters.**

**See you next time my lovely readers,**

**Era Dubois**


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